Starting mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



G. I. SPOHRER. STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.APPLICATION .FILED IUD/29. IBIS. 1,248,455, .Patented 001;. 16, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I- 6.1. SPOHRER. STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATlON FILED JULY 29. I916,

By WM Ana/Mr INVE/V TOR ATTORNEY G. I. SPOHRER.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

k APPLICATION FILED IULY'29. I916. 1,248,455. Patented Oct. 16,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 0 I W T a 6 H 5 1 122 MN 3d3? i MW k 1 0 1 -I .7 n 6STATES GREGORY JOHN SPOHRER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THEMOTOR- OOMPRESSOR COMPANY, A CORPORATIGN OF'DELAWARE.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 16, 1917.

Application filed J u1y 29, 1916. Serial No. 112,013.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, GREGORY J. SroHRnn, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of East Orange, county of Essex, and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStartstarting an internal combustion engine of the'type employing aconvertible pneui'natic motor compressor, a tank for the storage ofcompressed air and a controlling mechanism so arranged that compressedair may be admitted from the tank to the motor compressor to operate thelatter as a motor for starting the engine and that the motor compressorbe driven by the engine for compressing air and storing it in the tank.

The present invention relates more particularly to the construction ofthe controlling mechanism whereby the apparatus is regulated andoperated as desired. The object of the inventionis to provide a simpleand compact controlling mechanism which may be readily operated,whichmay be located in a position convenient for the operator, whichoccupies little space, which includes pneumatic means for-effecting theconnection of the engine to the motor compressor for driving the latteras a compressor, which will automatically discontinue the compressing ofair when a predetermined pressureis reached, which may be adjusted forthis automatic operation at any desired point, which may be readilymanufactured at a comparatively low cost and with which a connection forinflating tires may be. readily combined.

A controlling mechanism constructed in accordance with the presentinvention includes a support upon which two operating devices aremounted, either of which may be readily actuated by the operator as,-forinstance, by pressing upon a suitable button with his foot. By actuatingone otthese operating devices, a connection is effected i'rornthe.storage tank to the motor compressor so that compressed air may flow toon to the storage tank.

the motor compressor to drive the latter as a motor for starting theengine. This mechanism is in the form of a check-valve which is raisedfrom its seat against the tension of a spring on depressing theoperating device. lVith such a construction the mechanism is simplifiedfor the reason that when the motor compressor is operated to compressair, this air will serve to raise the check-valve from its seat and thenpass The other operatingdeviceis arranged to control the supply ofcompressed air from the tank to a device for effecting aconnection ofthe engine to the motor compressor for driving the latter as acompressor to store air in the tank.

This operating device is provided with an automatically actuated latchso that when it is operated to eiiect the desired connection'it will beheld in the position to which itis moved until it is released by thelatch, whereupon it is restored by suitable springs. The latch ispneumatically controlled so that whenthe air in the storage tank hasbeen compressed to the desired degree it will be operated in response tothe air pressure and effect the release of the operating device by whichthe connection of the engine to the compressor was established so thatthis connection is discontinued and the compressor comes to rest. Byreason of the provision of such an automatically actuated latch. whenthe air )ressure in the stora e tank'is reduced by drawing air therefromfor starting the engine, it is only necessary for the operator todepress or otherwise actuate the appropriate operating device whereuponthe engine will be connected to the compressor and the connectionmaintaine'd without further attention of the operator until the desiredpressure of the air in the storage tank'has been reestablished,whereupon the compression of air inthe storage tank is automaticallydiscontinued. This mechanism includes adjustable parts which may be soset that the compression of air in the tank will be discontinued whenbodiment of the invention. In these drawings- Figure 1 is a view showingthe motor compressor in plan, the transmission partially in horizontalsection and the controlling mechanism in perspective;

Fig. mission and a portion of the motor compressor Fig. 3 is a top viewof the controlling mechanism; r

Fig. 1 is a section of the controlling mechanism on the line of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections of the controlling mechanism on lines and6--6 re spectively of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section of the controlling mechanism on line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a section of the controlling mechanism on line 88 of Fig. 3;and

Fig. 9 is a section of a modified form of controlling mechanism whichmay be employed when the motor compressor is adapted foroperation eitheras a simple or compound motor, as desired.

Referring to these drawings, 10 indicates a convertible motor compressorconnected to a tank 11 for the storage of compressed air so that air maybe admitted from the tank to the motor compressor to operate the latteras motor for starting an engine and the motor compressor may be operatedby the engine as a compressor for compressing air in the tank 11. Thedriven shaft which may be the shaft of an internal combustion engine, isrepresented at 12 and it is in axial alinemcnt with'the shaft 13 of themotor compressor. On the end of this latter shaft is a pinion 11, theend of which constitutes a clutch member. The other member of thisclutch consists of a gear 15 having internal gear teeth which areadapted to mesh with the teeth of the pinion 1 1. At its opposite endthe hub of the, gear 15 is pro vided with internal gear teeth 16 whichare always in mesh with the teeth of a pinion 1'7 integral with a pinion18 with which internal teeth on the end of the shaft 12 are meshed. Thegear 15 is movable in the direction or" its aXis withiu'a hushed bearingformed in the casing 19 of the transmission mechanism. It is so moved bya yoke 20 lying in a circumferential groove formed in the gear 15 asshown in F 2. This yoke has a link 21 (Fig. 1) secured thereto at oneend and the opposite end of the link is connected to a lever 22 piot-ally 11101111t upon the casing 19. The opposite end of this lever ispivotally connected to the rod 23. of a piston adapted to reciprocatewithin a cylinder and moved in one direc tion by a spring 26 lyingwithin the cylinder. A pipe 27 enters the cylinder 25. on the side ofthe piston opposite the spring 26. The admission of compressed air tocylinder 25 2 is a vertical section of the transincense through pipe 2'?moves the piston 21 against the tension of sprin 26, thereby rockinglever 22 and moving the gear 15 to the position eii 'ecting @116engagement of the clutch members consisting of the teeth on the pinion11 l the internal teeth on the gear 15. In this way a direct connectionof the shaft 12 to the shaft 13 of the motor compressor is eti'ectedthrough the parts 18, 17, 15 and 1 1. hen the cylinder 25 is connectedto the atmosphere through pipe 27, the spring 26 actnates the piston 24and lever 22 to restore the gear 15 to the position in which it is shownin Fig. 2, thereby disconnecting the shaft 12 from the shaft of themotor compressor.

The pinion 11 is at all times connected 2 through an idler gear 28 to agear 29 mounted upon a counter-shaft 30 within the casing 19 of thetransmission mechanism. The hub of the gear 29 is extended axially andon it is mounted a pinion3l. This pinion is connected to the hub of thegear 29 by a spiral thread 32 on the hub entering a spiral groove on theii terior of the pinion 31. This pinion 31 is movable axially upon thehub of gear 29 to the position in which it is shown in Fig; 2 and to aposition in which its teeth mesh with the external teeth of the gear 15,and this movement of pinion 31 is effected automatically by reason ofthe spiral thread 32 and the groove with which it cooperates.

hen the motor compressor is operated as amotor, it rotates the gear 29through pinion 1-1 and idler 2S and the direction of rotation of gear 29and the pitch of thread 32 are such that this rotation of gear 29 causesthe pinion 31 to be moved axially upon the hub of the gear until thepinion comes into mesh with the gear 15, where-- I upon the connectionof the motor comoressor to the shaft 12 is established through the parts1%, 28, 29, 31, 15, 17 and 18. Through this connection the pneumaticmotor drives the shaft 1 to start the engine and when the engineoperates under its own power the shaft 12 is rotated by the engine at ahigher speed than that at which it was driven by the motor compressor10. This higher speed of rotation of the shaft 12 operates through theparts 18, 1? and 15 to rotate the pinion 31 at higher speed han that atwhich the gear 29 is rotated and under these conditions the spiralthread 32 causes the gear 31 to be moved axially upon the hub of thegear .29 until the pinion is carried out of mesh with the gear 15, theparts being thus stored to their initial positions.

The control of the supply of air from the tank 11 to the motor 10, andfrom the com pressor 10 to the tank 11, and the supply of air from thetank 11 to the cylinder 25 is eiiected by means of the controllingmechanism shown in perspective at 33 in Fig. 1,

andiillustrated inidetail i'n-Figs. 3 to 8, inclusive. Casting 33;forming the: supporting structure of this controlling mechanism consistsof a plateadapted to be mounted upon a; suitable-support and casings forvalves formed integral therewith. In thecasting are two cavities:adapted to receive lcheckvalves 34 ancl,,35, each of which is heldyieldinglyupon itsuseat by a spiralspring 36 and each of which isprovided with a stem, movable in a bore provided in a' plug iii-closingthe-end of the cavity for. the check-valve. The check-valve 34 isadapted to be moved from its seat iagainst the tension of its spring 36by, amoperating device 3.8 in theform of alrod provided with a button 39above the surface of the casting 33; The rod 38 is normally/held in-theraised position by a spring 40 coiled about its inner end. The casting33 is provided withac-threaded opening leading: to :;the space below thecheckvalve 34 and pipe 41 leading from the storagetank 11 is connectedto this opening, as shown in Fig. 1. Above the checkvalve 34,tliecasting 33 is provided with two openings whichare; connected by pipes 42and 43 to the, cylinders of the motor compressor; Thus, by depressingthebutton 39, the rod 38 engages the check-valve 34 and moves it againstthe tension of the spring 36 so that air may flow from a the tank 11through pipe 41 past the check-valve 34 and through pipes 42 and 43 totheqcylinders of the motor-compressor tooperate the latter as a motor.Also, when the button 39 is held in elevated position by spring 40 andthe motor compressor is driven by the engine as a, compressor, the aircompressedfiows from the compressor through pipes 42 and 43- to thecheckeva lve 34 and moves the latter from its seat againstspring 36 so,thatthe air may fiowpast thechcck-valve through pipe 41 to the tank. 11.j

The check-valve 35 is similar to. the valve 34 and isoperated by a rod44 provided with a button 45 andnormally held, in the raised position bya spring 46 Below thecheck valve 35 thecasting 33 is provided with apassage leading to thespace below the valve 34 andinto an openingforcthereception of the end of a pipe 47 which leads to a pressure gage.Aboveathe check-valve 35 the casting 33 is providedwith another openingfor the reception of the end of the pipe 27 a leading to the cylinder 25foroperating the clutch as above described. The lower end of the rod 44is provided with a central passage 5.0 from which a radial passage leadsto a circumferential groove 48 formed in the rod 44. \Vhen the rod is inits elevated position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, thiscircumferential groove registers with a passage 49 through thecasting33. \Vhen the button 45 is depressed, the check-valve35 is moved fromits seat against the tension of itsispring 36 sorthat'air may flow 'fromthe tank 11, throughpipe 41, past the checkvalve35 311d? through pipe 27to the cylinder 25 to operate the clutch as above described. Thedepression of rod 44 for this purpose carries the; circumferentialgroove 48' out of registry with the passage 49." When the rod 44aisreleased and raised by-spring 46, check- .valve 35 is, closed by itsspring 36 and the airpressure: upon the valve and the upward movementof-rod 44 carries groove 48 into registry with passage 49 so that-theair in cylinder 25i-maywthen escape to the. atmosphere through pipe 27,passage-50,- groove 48and passage 49. I

The rod 44 is provided with a circumferential groovenear-its upper-endadapted to receivethe end of aspring actuated latch 51, pivotallymounted; upon aystandard 52 secured-uponithe casting 33 and actuated bya spring53. dVhen button 45 is depressech-the latch 51 :is actuated byspring 53'to carry the end of thevlatchinto the groove in rod 44, andthe-rod is thusheld in its'gdepressed position against .tlieteiisionotthe springs-46 and 36. This is the position of the parts while theengine is operating the motorcompressor to store air in the tank, andthis relation is maintained until the desired pressure within the tankis attained, whereupon the latch 51 is operated automatically to releaserod 44-and allow it and the checkvalve to he raised by their springs.

The outer end of the pivoted latch 51 lies directly over aplun'ger 54(Fig. 8), the end of which has .a piston reciprocating in a cylinderformed in the casting-33. On the end of the piston 55 is a projection 56adapted toclose apassage leading into the CYllIlClQI'fODthG piston 55.-The piston- 55, projection 56 and'rod- 54'are normally held inthepositions in which they are shown in Fig. 8 by a spring 57 coiledabout the plunger .54, in which position the projection 56 closesapassage 58, (Figs. 5, 6 and 8) communicating with the space directlybelow the check-valve :34, and", therefore, with the tank 11 through!pipe 41. When. the air pressure in tank .11, pipe 41 and passage'58rises to a predetermined point, it acts upon the projection 56 to raisethe latter and the plunger 54 enough to admit the air to the cylinder ofthe piston 55,whereupon the air acting upon the largersurface of thepiston 55, forcesthe piston and plunger 54 upwardly,-.thereby rockingthe latch 51 :and causing it to releasethe rod 44.v I Itwill be notedthat the spring 57 bears at its. upper end; against a sleeve 59 threadedintothe upper-end of the cylinder for the piston 55' and {having itsupper end 60 formed to facilitate turning the sleeve in eitherdirection. By turning the sleeve 59' one way orthe other, the tension.of the spring 57 maybe increased or diminished as desired thereby irsregulating asdesired the degree of compression of .air in tank 11, whichwill be effective to raise the plunger 5% and to operate the latch 51.

The valve mechanism above described is preferably provided with aconnection for a tube through which the tire of a vehicle upon which themechanism is mounted, may beinflatedwith air from tank 11. For thispurpose the casting 3-3 may be provided with an interiorly threadedopening to receive a threaded valve member 61, as shown in .Fig. 8. Thisvalve member has a tapered point for closing the outlet from a passage62 (Figs. 6 and 8) connected to the space below the check valve 3%. Theupper end of the valve member 61 above the upper surface ofthe casting33 is provided with an operating handle 63 and is threaded as shownat'6l to receive the coupling of a tube by which connection is made tothe tire to be inflated. After the tube is connected to the threaded end64:, the handle 68 may be turned slightly soas to allow air to flow frompassage 62 up through a central opening65 in the valve member 61 to thetire;

Fig. 9 shows a modification of the apparatus illustrated in thepreceding figures, whereby the controlling mechanism is adapted for usewith a multi-cylinder motor compressor arranged for either simple orcompound operation when employed as a motor. Such a convertible motorcompressor is illustrated in Patent No. 1,132,22l granted to me March16, 1915. The construction shown in Fig. 9 diflers from that showninthepreceding figures only in the addition of another valve mechanism anda foot-operated lever 'which may be depressed to operate two valvemechanisms in succession. The valve 34: and the parts associatedtherewith are the same in construction as that-illustrated in Fig. at,except that the rod 38'isnot provided with a button at its end. Apivoted lever 66 overlies the end of rod 38 and is normally held in arais'ed'post tion by a spring 67. This lever 66 also overlies the end ofanother rod 68 which, when depressed by lever 66, operates to open acheck-valve 69, similar in its construction to the check-valve 34.Between the two valves and 69isa chamber 70 from which a conduit leadsto the cylinders of the motor compressorfor supplying air to thosecylinders in succession to cause the mechanism to operate as a compoundpneumatic motor. By partially depressing the pedal 66, valve 34: only isopened and air passes from the storage tank past valve 34: to thechamber 70 and then to the motor compressor for compound operation. Butif pedal 66 is depressed to its full extent, the valves 69 and 34 areopened. Air then flows from chamber '70 past valve 69 to the mechanismfor effecting the change from compound to simmasses ple operation andcertain of thecylinders of the motor compressor are supplied withhighpressure air flowing thereto around the valve 69 while othercylinders are supplied with high pressure air flowing thereto from thechamber 70. The rod 68 for operating the valve 69 is provided with acentral passage similar to that described above in con nectionwith valve35 so that when 'lever66 is released and the lever and rod 68' areraised by their springs, air may be exhausted from the space above thecheckvalve 69 so as to permit that valve to close. I

The operation of the apparatus thus constructed may be summarized asfollows:

To start the engine the operator presses the pedal 39, thereby movingthe check-valve from its seat and permitting air to flow from the tank11 through pipe ll past valve Elland throughpipes i2 and 4.3 to thecylinders of the motor compressor for operating the latter as motor.Immediately the shaft of the motor rotates and drivesthe gear 29 on thecounter shaft 30 and the thread 32' on the'hub of gear 29 causes thepinion 31 to move axially into mesh with gear 15, which latter rotatesthe double pinion 17, 18 by which the shaft 12- is driven. Theconnection to the driven shaft is thus established automaticallyimmediately upon starting of the motor and the motor then drives theengine shaft to start the engine. hen the engine has been started, theshaft 12 is driven by the engine at higher speed than that of the motorshaft and, therefore, the pinion 31 is turned upon the hub of gear 29resulting in axial movement of the pinion outof mesh with gear 15. Thus,the connection of the motor to the engine shaft is automatically broken.Usually, the operation of starting the engine takes but a few seconds,so that itis only necessary for the operator to hold the that length oftime l v'hen the pressure of the air in tank 11 has been reduced, theoperator depresses pedal +15 and'the latter isheld in its depressedposition. by the automatic latch 51. The check-valve35 is thus opened sothat air may flow from tank 11 through pipe all, past valve 35, andthrough pipe 27 to the cylinder This actuates the piston 24, lever 22,link 21 and yoke 20, so as to shift the gear 15 axially. This movementof the gear 15 carries the internal teeth thereon into clutchingrelation to the teeth on pinion 1%, so that the shafts l2 and 13 aredirectly connected. The engine, therefore, drives the motor compressorand the latter (1011111188888 air and stores it in tank 11. The air thuscompressed is forced through pipes 12 and d3, raises the check-valve 34from its seat, and flows through pipe a]. to tank 11. This operation iscontinued until a predetermined pressure of air in tank 11 is'reached,

pedal 39 depressed for 7 Cit whereupon the piston 55 is raised by theair pressure thereon and operates the latch 51' to release the rod-i4.Rod stat and checkvalve 35 are then returned to their normal positionsby their springs, the supply of air to cylinder 25'is cut off by thecheck-valve, the air in the cylinder 25 escapes through. passages; 50,a8 and i9, and; thegear 15- is returnedto its initial position. byspring 26, thus disconnecting the engine from the compressorautomatically.

\Vhat I claim is:

l. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adapted todrive and be driven by the same, a tank, a conduit for supplying airfrom the tank to the motor compressor, controlling mechanism in theconduit, pneumatically actuated means for connecting said shaft to theshaft of the motor compressor for driving the latter as a compressor, aconduit connecting the tank to said connecting means, a valve membercontrolling the flOW of air in the last named conduit, a latch forholding the valve member in the position for supplying air from the tankto said connecting means, and automatic means for actuating the latch tore lease the valve member in response to predetermined pressureconditions in the tank.

2. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adapted todrive and be driven by the same, a tank, a conduit for supplying airfrom the tank to the motor compressor, controlling mechanism in theconduit, pneumatically actuated means for connecting said shaft to theshaft of the motor compressor for operating the latter as a compressor,a conduit connecting the tank to said connecting means, a valve membercontrolling the flOW of air in the last named conduit, a latch forholding the valve member in position for supplying air from the tank tosaid connecting means, automatic means for actuating the latch to release the valve member in response to pre determined pressure conditionsin the tank, and means for effecting an adjustment of the automaticmeans for varying the pressure conditions under which the automaticmeans operates.

3. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adapted todrive and be driven by the same, a tank, a conduit for supplying airfrom the tank to the motor compressor, controlling mechanism in theconduit, pneumatically actuated means for connecting said shaft to theshaft of the motor compressor for operating the latter as a compressor,a conduit connecting the tank to said connecting means, a valve membercontrolling the flovv'of air in the last named conduit, a latch forholding the valve member in position for supplying air from the tank tosaid connecting means, a pneumatically actuated plunger for operatingthe latch, and means whereby the initial move. ment of the plunger tooperate the latch exposes an enlarged area of'the plunger to-the airWhich actuates the plunger to. release the latch.

- 4. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adaptedto drive and be driven by the same, a clutch for connecting said shaftto the shaft of the motorcom-i pressor, a tank connected to the motorcompressor, a cylinder and piston for operatingthe clutch, a conduitconnecting the tank to said cylinder, a valve member controlling theflow in said conduit. a spring for moving the valve member to a positionfor permitting the exhaust of air from the said cylinder, a latch forholding the valve member in position for supplying air from the tank tothe cylinder, and automatic means for operating the latch in response topredetermined pressure conditions in the tank.

5. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adapted todrive and be driven by the same, a tank connected to the motorcompressor, pneumatic means for connecting the shaft to the motorcompressor for operation of the latter as a compressor, a conduitconnecting the tank to said pneumatic means, a valve in the said conduitmovable to one position for permitting the flow of air from the tank tosaid pneumatic means and to a second position for permitting the exhaustof air from said pneumatic means, a latch for holding the valve in thefirst named position, means for operating said latch automatically inresponse to predetermined pressure conditions in the tank, and means foreffecting an adjustment of the means for operating the latch to vary thepressure conditions under Which the latch is operated.

6. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adapted todrive and be driven by the same, a tank, a conduit connecting the tankto the motor compressor, a check-valve in the conduit raised from itsseat by air compressed in the motor compressor to permit the compressedair to How into the tank, means for moving the checkvalve from its seatto permit air to flow from the tank to the motor compressor, pneumaticmeans for connecting said shaft to the motor compressor to operate thelatter as a compressor, a conduit connecting the tank to said pneumaticmeans, a valve in the last named conduit movable to a position forsupplying air to the pneumatic means and to a second position forpermitting the exhaust of air therefrom, a latch for holding said valvein the position first named and means for automatically operating thelatch in response to predetermined pressure conditions in the tank.

7. The combination of a convertible motor compressor, a shaft adaptedtodrive and be messes driven by the same, pneumatically actuated eratingthe other check valve to connect the 10 means for connecting the shaftto the motor tank to the pneumatically actuated means, compressor tooperate the latter as a coma latch for holding the second check valvepressor, and controlling mechanism connectin the open position andautomatic means 5 ed to the tank, the motor compressor and for operatingthe latch in response to pre- 7 the pneumatically actuated means andindetermined pressure conditions within the 15 cluding two checkvalves,lmeans for operattank. ing one of the check valves to connect theIn testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

7 tank to the motor compressor, means for op- GREGORY JOHN SPOHRER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe @mniissionef of Patents 'Washington, D. C.

